ikeepitreal

File this under -- "Seattle sports fan complains about the 'East Coast Bias' and getting no respect".

On Sunday, the Seahawks had one of the most fortuitous wins in NFL history. The kind that makes you think that they are a team of destiny, or at least have a horseshoe wedged pretty far up somewhere. They certainly got their fair share of luck in the game. (For those who don't follow these things, the Giants' kicker missed 3 game-winning field goals before the Seahawks woke up and won it). But that story has been written everywhere in the past couple of days. I'm here to tell you why the Seahawks actually won that game.

1) The refs screwed up. This essentialy means that the Giants have yet to get in the end zone at Qwest field. I know, the one at the end of the game was on 1st down, they probably would have scored anyway. But the Shockey touchdown was on 3rd and 7. Swap that for 3 pts and we're never even talking about OT or 3 FG misses at the end.

2) All right, I'll play the card. The Hawks are getting no respect. Coverage around the league is pretty slanted. All the coverage of the Bears game is about how their defense stepped up to beat Tampa Bay. Yet Tampa's kicker missed a chip shot FG near the end of the game that would have tied it. You're telling me that's not luck? The Hawks defense held the #1 offense in the NFC to 21 pts (and should have been less, as written above). Also, they came up big at the end. At least give the Hawks a shred of credit for making the plays to win the game.

3) Let's talk about those plays. On the game winning drive, after a long pass to D.J. Hackett, Alexander busts out for 8 and 13 yards. Result? A 36 yard attempt. The difference between that and the way the Seahawks held the Giants to 40, 54(!), and 45 yard attempts is the difference in the game. When the Giants had a chance to make their kicks shorter, they went backwards. And their kicker obviously had range problems. What are you thinking making him attempt a 54 yarder?

Yes, the Seahawks were lucky. But they were also good. As you see or hear the media discount this win and drop them down in power rankings (which I know, don't mean anything, but still make my blood boil), remember the plays they did make. It wasn't just that the Giants self-destructed. There was a team on the other side of the ball. And that team is now 9-2.

Update: Apparently the NFL didn't talk to Holmgren about those two TDs, but he is in trouble for divulging a private conversation with the officials. Yeah, that totally makes sense.

I leave you with this picture.

Posted by Mike at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

On this fine November morning, I'd like to spend a few minutes to relay a quick coming of age story. To be fair, this story may have some truth in it. It may even be semi-autobiographical.

Once upon a time there was a boy. This boy loved to do things that other kids didn't consider very "manly" or "tough", like playing the trumpet, or reading all 45 volumes of the "Wizard of Oz" series. This boy -- let's call him Mike -- got by ok. He hung out with the semi-geeks, made wisecracks, self-deprecated to the point he had enough friends. But still, he never could field a grounder cleanly, run very fast, and to this day, his record field goal is a measly 25 yards.

One day Mike realized all his friends were getting into "extreme" sports. In order to keep hanging out with them, he figured, he'd have to put down the trumpet and give them a try. So he went snowboarding. 2 asthma attacks and a very bruised ass later, he was in the club. For the most part, he was able to keep the inner monologue that was shreiking like a little girl silent. Hooray, Mike!

Still, Mike had a problem. He was a poser. Any time he did anything "extreme", he didn't sell out. He never caught "Big Air". Riding "fakey" was never an option. But the goal was never to "go big", it was to just get by. And Mike does that. With a little posering, he continues to gain the respect of his friends. And he has some fun doing it. That's enough for him.

I'll now present some pictures of Mike doing just that -- having fun and posering.

From the Ski to Sea race in 2004.

* What it looks like: Not bad. He certainly has the gear. Maybe he ripped thru that puddle and is on the way to a respectable time.